C of L49 & The Waste Land. "But he ain't him"

[Mark Kohut]

Meant as lede, but forgot:
As Michael Bailey sez: as Mark pointed out, Pynchon isn't Eliot - but what is Lot 49 but an
exploration of fragments?  Shored against some ruin, perhaps?

Yes, when one thinks of the one-thing-after-another of Cof L49 it IS an exploration of fragments--
in History (it seems) and in contemp America @ mid-sixties.



----- Original Message ----
From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2009 9:35:04 AM
Subject: C of L49 & The Waste Land. "But he ain't him"


In many ways it seems, C of L49 takes off from some of the same ideas infusing The Waste Land. 
Anthropological, comparative religion, quest theme, Grail or no Grail notions to describe the Other America
Oedipa becomes aware of as she is caught in the American tower which is everywhere. 

But with the Tristero, it seems TRP wants to show that America in Oedipa's time---and History from way back--
has always had another tapestry--a Counter-Force, muted [a--and so almost-helplessly small in GR!]; some lilacs
always growing out of its dead land......??